A children’s home for young people with autism and learning difficulties has been condemned as inadequate in all areas after inspectors reported serious and widespread failures which put those in its care “at significant risk of harm”.
Inspectors who visited Orbis Abbey Rose in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, last month, described children and staff smeared with faeces, pupils fed on a diet of junk food and children engaged in “highly dangerous behaviours” including smashing car windows, throwing furniture and assaulting staff.
Ofsted took immediate action to suspend registration of the residential element of the facility – the day school is not affected – and the 10 children in its care were found alternative placements. “There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected, or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded,” the Ofsted inspectors concluded.
The education watchdog carried out an inspection after receiving a number of allegations about practices in the home. The resulting report noted: “Incidents of staff, children and the premises being smeared with faeces are a regular occurrence.”
In one house there was only one toilet roll between six bathrooms – despite a plentiful supply on site – and no hand wash or hand towels in the staff bathroom.
The report also raised concerns about diet and eating habits. Children were allowed to eat with their fingers and fed a diet of processed food, with staff making daily visits to a fast food outlet to pick up meals. One child, it said, had 122 chicken nuggets and 14 litres of fizzy drinks each week.
Repeated staffing changes made it hard for children to develop relationships, with agency workers frequently hired to cover vacancies and often assigned to support children with the most complex needs. The report says allegations have been made about four agency staff.
According to the report, two of the senior staff responsible for child protection did not have the appropriate safeguarding training. “On occasions, staff have remained working alone with children despite allegations being made about them by other staff.”
On two occasions, staff failed to stop a child eating wild mushrooms and another child was not stopped from “misusing the internet” despite having one-to-one support.
Other incidents have resulted in children and staff having to go to hospital for medical attention – on one occasion staff locked themselves and a child at risk of harm in a bathroom for safety – and the police have been called in to support staff.
Experts in the sector agreed the report was shocking, with only a few isolated positive comments from staff and parents. The home, which is part of the Orbis Education and Care group, was registered in May.
Cardiff-based Orbis runs a number of schools, residential homes and facilities for children and adults with a diagnosis of autism. The home was previously known as Southwick Park and was owned and run by the Cambian group until it closed in April 2018.
A spokesperson for Orbis Abbey Rose said the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people in their care was paramount. “This is clearly a concerning matter for us and we have taken swift action to make alternate care arrangements for all of our young people during this temporary suspension.
“Since the initial inspection we have been working closely with Ofsted to address their concerns and have put a robust improvement plan in place. Following a monitoring visit this week, Ofsted have acknowledged the progress we have made over the past few weeks.
“We will continue to work closely with Ofsted, the local authorities and families as we implement the improvement plan.”
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire county council said two of the children in the home came from the area but the others came from further afield. Children with complex special educational needs and disabilities frequently have to travel long distances to find appropriate placements.
